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Let me preface this by saying, I love everything Spurrier has done for us. Thanks to Spurrier we pretty much "started from the bottom now we here". From this point forward though, there should be no more excuses for lack of hardware. No more we should have done this or that.

I'm not saying we have to win every game we play. Sometimes you're just not the better team. What HAS to stop is losing games EVERY year to teams we shouldn't.

2010: Kentucky loss. Embarrasing considering what we did the week before. Had the east not been so down that year, that loss would have cost us the east as well.

2011: Auburn. No excuse. That team was bad. We were the best team in the east that year and we gave the division away with that loss.

2012: Florida. Some people may disagree since it was at the swamp, but there is no excuse for the way we played that game. I was there and that was the most pathetic performance I have seen since clemson 08. That Florida team might have had a good record, but we gave the division away AGAIN with that performance.

With all that being said we have had bright spots. How can one complain in 2011 when we win the most games ever in a year? How can one complain in 2012 when we repeat it? How can one complain in 2013 when we finish #4 in the nation? You simply can't.

But that's why I create this thread. There are no more excuses. Yea we lost to Tennessee BUT we finished #4. Well take a look at that. That is the 2 teams playing for the National Championship, the Rose Bowl winners, and then us. We are RIGHT there. The past 3 years only Alabama, Oregon, and Stanford can match our success. But Bama just had a disaster of a season at 11-2, same for Oregon. Stanford won their conference, but they could have had much more.

There are no more firsts for the program except the obvious. Its time to get it done from start to finish. No more "yea we lost this but at least we did this for the first time". No more one game where we look like a shell of ourselves. No more terrible coaching decisions in key moments.

NO MORE EXCUSES

Consider this:

From around 2005 or so -

Quote:

On December 24 1892, The University of South Carolina began a storied football tradition by losing to in-state rival Furman 44-0 in Charleston. The Gamecocks compiled a 0-3 record in their first two seasons and did not score an offensive point those two seasons. South Carolina football was born, as was a losing tradition that would continue over the next 111 seasons.

South Carolina has an all-time winning percentage under .500, which ranks 90th all-time in D-1A football history...only 27 of the 117 programs who are currently competing at the D-1A level have been worse. A few of the notable football programs who have been better than the Gamecocks include such powerhouses as: Rutgers, UNLV, Central Florida, Western Michigan, North Texas, San Diego State, Tulsa, Toledo, Navy, Ball State, Northern Illinois, Duke, East Carolina, Akron, Baylor, Utah State, Troy, San Jose State, Vanderbilt, Kansas, and Kentucky, just to name a few. Of the 62 teams in the history of D-1A football who have played 980 or more games, only 7 programs have won fewer games than South Carolina. Thats right, more than 87% of those 62 schools have been better. Forty-Six teams have played 1,050 games in their schools history and only two of them have yet to win 500 games - -Northwestern and South Carolina. On November 6th 2004, South Carolina won their 495th football game by defeating Arkansas 35-32 in Columbia. It was the Gamecocks 1049th contest in schools history. Of the 62 programs that have won 495 or more games, only one took more games to achieve this milestone than South Carolina thats correct, only 1 out of 61 -Cincinnati accomplished this feat in their 1064th game. This is South Carolina football.

Since the Associated Press began ranking football teams in 1936, the Cocks have finished in the Top 20 of the rankings only five times in the 69 years. Of the schools who have played D-1A football for more than half of those 69 seasons, only 17 of them have finished in the Top 20 fewer times than the Gamecocks. South Carolina has never finished in the Top 10 of a major recognized poll...NEVER. Only 27 other current D-1A teams who have played at least thirty seasons at the D-1A level have never had a Top 10 finish. This is South Carolina football.

The first year of Gamecock football was in 1892, Carolina won its first bowl game 103 years later. In 111 seasons of football, Carolina has yet to participate in one of the ?Big 5? Bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton). Of the 100 D-1A teams who have participated in a bowl game, Carolina?s 11 appearances are tied with four other teams for 58th all-time, Carolinas 3 wins are 87th all-time. Seventy-two schools have been to 9 or more bowl games, and of those 72 schools, South Carolina?s .273 bowl winning percentage ranks 72nd -thats correct, LAST.

As Carolina is set to begin its 112th season of collegiate football, they have won 10 or more games in a single season once. South Carolina has won more games than it lost only 51 times. South Carolina has won 6 or more games in a season 34 times, and lost 6 or more 35 times. This is South Carolina football.

In conference play, Carolina has been even more unsuccessful. In the 61 seasons South Carolina has been affiliated with a conference, they have won that conference only once...the ACC in 1969, with a 7-4 record. South Carolinas overall all-time winning percentage of .492 ranks 11th out of the 12 current SEC schools, only Mississippi State has been worse. Since joining the SEC in 1992, Carolina has had a winning record in the conference twice. In the thirteen seasons as a member of the SEC, Carolina boasts an overall conference record of 37-66-1 -only two teams have been worse: Kentucky has 27 wins, Vanderbilt 13. Although Carolina has yet to finish in the top two of the Eastern division, they have finished last twice. Carolina has yet to win six conference games in a season, something only Kentucky and Vanderbilt have done over the past 12 seasons. Since 1992, only once has a conference member failed to win a game overall in a single season -you guessed it, South Carolina. In fact, the Gamecocks went two consecutive seasons without winning one conference game, not one. Since 1992, only three times has any non-probation member of the conference failed to win two or more games overall in a season -South Carolina has accomplished this feat twice, Kentucky once. South Carolinas all-time record versus other current conference members is even more unimpressive: 3-9 vs Alabama, 5-8 vs Arkansas, 1-4-1 vs Auburn, 3-19-3 vs Florida, 13-42-2 vs Georgia, 9-6-1 vs Kentucky, 2-14-1 vs LSU, 5-8 vs Ole Miss, 5-6 vs Mississippi St., 2-19-2 vs Tennessee, and 12-2 vs Vanderbilt. Thats correct, Carolina leads the all-time series against 2 SEC teams...Kentucky and Vanderbilt. South Carolina boasts an all time record of 60-137-8 against current SEC teams, a .2926 winning percentage -good enough for 12th out of the current 12 SEC members -thats correct, LAST. This is South Carolina football.

But, the comparison of only 13 seasons in one conference does no justice to the tradition of South Carolina football. So lets compare the Cocks record versus D-1A schools they have played 20 or more times: 36-62-4 vs Clemson, 17-24-3 vs Duke, 3-19-3 vs Florida, 13-42-2 vs Georgia, 9-12 vs Georgia Tech,11-17 vs Maryland, 16-34-4 vs North Carolina, 25-26-4 vs North Carolina State, 2-19-2 vs Tennessee, 21-12-1 vs Virginia, and 33-21-2 vs Wake Forest. Thats correct, Carolina leads the all-time series against 2 of these 11 teams...Virginia and Wake Forest. This is South Carolina football.

South Carolinas futility is not limited to their pitiable record of wins and losses, several other factors contribute to South Carolina?s storied custom of failures.

They include

**Unsuccessful coaches: South Carolina has had 32 different head coaches in its storied tradition...only six of them stayed longer than 5 seasons, 22 of them have losing records.

**Players drafted by the NFL: Since the NFL Draft began in 1967, SEC institutions have an illustrious history of players selected in the first round -well not all SEC schools. Only four teams have failed to have at least nine players selected in the first round -Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and of course South Carolina.

**Home field advantage: Since joining the SEC, the Cocks are 62-80-1 overall at home and 21-34-1 in conference play.

**Offensive Production: Its another Carolina Touchdown! -not quite. Although the inaugural shutout loss to Furman in 1894 was the Gamecocks first scoreless game, it was not their last. The Gamecocks have failed to score a single point in 160 games, over 15% of their contests. They have scored in single digits in 395 of their 1051 games, a staggering mark of 37.5%. Of the 46 programs, which have played more than 1050 games all-time, only one (Northwestern) has scored fewer points than South Carolina in their schools history. Of the 62 programs that have played in 980 or more games, only five have scored fewer points than South Carolina. South Carolinas 7.8 points per game in 1999 is the fewest in SEC play since the conference expanded to 12 members in 1992. That season, South Carolina scored more than 10 points in three of their eleven games, and scored more than 14 points only once.

**Fan traditions: South Carolina fans began a practice of tearing down goalposts following -big- victories. In 2000, after beating New Mexico State at home to snap a 21 game losing streak the goalposts were torn down in Williams-Brice Stadium. It was a monumental win for the Gamecocks, beating a team who had enjoyed as much success as New Mexico State. The Aggies entered the game with 3 winning seasons over the previous 33 years, and an overall record of 40-136 during the previous 16 seasons.

**Rivalries: Another important component of football tradition are rivalries. According to South Carolina fans, their biggest two rivalries are Clemson and Georgia. The Gamecocks have compiled a 48-105-6 record against these two schools. Over the past 47 seasons, South Carolina has played both Georgia and Clemson in the same season 42 times. The Gamecocks have beaten both teams in the same season five times since 1958, and have lost to both teams in the same season 21 times over that span. Gamecock fans believe the next most important games are against Eastern Division opponents Florida and Tennessee. Carolina has a combined record of 5-38-5 against these two teams. Of the 5 wins against the two schools, only one has come since 1936, a one-point victory 13 seasons ago. The Citadel and Davidson College have each defeated Carolina more times (The Citadel -8; Davidson - 14) than the Gamecocks have beaten these two Eastern Division teams combined (5). To put South Carolinas lack of success against these four ?rivalries? into perspective, the Gamecocks combined .2514 winning percentage against these four programs is lower than the combined winning percentage of The Citadel, East Carolina, Davidson and Presbyterian have against South Carolina (.3030). This is South Carolina football.

But all this tradition and past records are meaningless. What is more important is the recent history. Only losers live in the past. We are in the best years of Carolina Gamecock football, and the future has never been brighter...or has it? After leading South Carolina to their most successful two-year run in the programs history, many Cocks believed Lou Holtz had brought his winning ways to Columbia -he failed like twenty-one coaches who preceded him. Lou Holtz retired after the 2004 season, with a 33-37 record. South Carolina failed to make the postseason for the 8th time in the past 10 seasons. Holtz tenure was just another in a long line of recent Gamecock failures. South Carolina's record since 1995: 49-64-1, which is 82nd among 117 D-1A teams over the same period. Since Joining the SEC: 66-81-1, which is 74th among D-1A teams over the same period. Since 1990: 75-92-3, which is 71st among D-1A teams over the same span. Carolina has finished in the Top 15 once in the past 16 seasons, and been to three bowl games in that span. This is South Carolina football.

After consecutive bowl appearances in 2000 and 2001, South Carolina was coming off of their most successful two year run in the programs history. The Gamecocks 17 wins during that period was the most by any South Carolina team over a two-year span. Only 17 other current D-1A schools that have fielded a team 15 or more seasons have failed to win 18 or more games in consecutive seasons. Carolina was going to keep the momentum and 2002 was the season that the Cocks would breakthrough and finally surpass Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. They would finally get over ?the hump? to capture the Eastern Division Championship. You had two Heisman candidates in the same backfield, Pinnock and Jenkins. You mixed up all the ingredients to produce another sub .500 record, and another 0-for against the Big 3 from the East, and another loss to in-state rival Clemson. The Carolina Heisman candidate at RB finished with less than 50 yards per game rushing, and the Heisman candidate at QB finished the season at DB. But, wait there is always next year.

2003 would be the year that Holtz previous recruiting seasons would begin to pay dividends. The team no longer had any cancers and was again united. Team unity, young stars, and maturity at QB would get South Carolina back to a New Years Day Bowl game. Your most hated rival would be down and a Carolina victory at home on the seasons last game would likely lead to the departure of the rival coaching staff. The best High School Running Back to ever step on a field made a pledge in February to attend South Carolina, and bring glory to Columbia. That running back ended the season by leading the team with 58 yards per game rushing in his first season in Columbia -3 Freshmen Running Backs in the conference were better. Your QB who had matured, and finally had a grasp of the offense? He finished with the lowest completion percentage in the conference, as well as the fewest yards. Again, it was a sub .500 record overall, 2-6 in the conference, another 0-for against the Big 3 from the East. And the season finale that would send your in-state rival back to the drawing board and end the coaching career of Tommy Bowden instead ended in a 46-point home loss.

Seventeen of Twenty-two starters returned for 2004, and with it came high expectations. Returning was your entire offensive backfield. You brought in a new defensive coordinator who was going to implement a new scheme that would be a better fit for your young defensive talent. On offense, Lou took over play calling duties and was supposed take Carolina to the top by grinding it out on the ground. And when your Senior QB would be presented with the situation when he must throw, Coach Holtz said he was going to ?shock the conference. The season began with a blowout win over Vanderbilt, and a 16-point lead midway through the second quarter over highly touted Georgia. But, then the reality of what the true description of South Carolina football is occurred, South Carolina wouldn't score again until the South Florida game. When the season ended, this group of Gamecocks etched their name next to failures of the past. Once again South Carolina failed to reach the post season. Once again, they ended conference play without a winning record. For the third season in a row they went 0-4 against the big three from the East and in state rival Clemson. The lopsided defeats in the 2004 contests against these four teams brought the total point differential margin to 191 points that Carolina has been outscored by in those four ?rivalry? games over the last three seasons. South Carolina has allowed 23 or more points in nine of those games, and scored 23 or more only once. The Quarterback who was going to "shock the conference" didn't make it to the third game of the season. Gamecock players gave Coach Holtz an early retirement gift during the final contest of the season in a 22-point loss to Clemson by delaying the game nearly ten minutes midway through the fourth quarter. The reason for the delay was frustrated South Carolina players started an ugly on-field altercation. The actions led to a post season ban by the University. A team that had positioned itself to accomplish what only 11 teams before them had accomplished, instead took their place in Gamecock history as the 100th team that failed to reach post season. Coach Holtz called the scene, his "biggest disappointment." For many it was just another chapter of "This is South Carolina football."

On November 23, 2004, South Carolina named Steve Spurrier as the schools Head Football Coach. Spurrier brings to South Carolina a .777 college winning percentage. His resume includes six SEC titles, one ACC title, and one national championship. Coach Spurrier holds the mark with the all-time highest winning percentage in SEC play. Spurrier will also bring to Columbia the highest expectations in the schools history. Spurrier finished in the Final AP Top 15 twelve consecutive seasons at Florida, so that is what we should expect at South Carolina. Spurrier had a career record of 11-1 against Georgia while at the Gator helm, so that is what we should expect at South Carolina. Gamecock players have greeted Coach Spurrier's arrival in emblematic Carolina fashion with an abundance of team rules violations and felony arrests. In January, six players were charged after a total of $18,000 worth of computer and video equipment and framed photographs were taken from South Carolina's stadium in late November. The incident resulted in Offensive Lineman Woody Telfort being charged with a felony count of grand larceny, and numerous other charges against players. On March 1st leading rusher Demetris Summers was dismissed from the team. A day later, Tackle Kevin Mainord was arrested for stealing televisions from dorm rooms. Defensive End Moe Thompson was also arrested on similar charges six days later. On April 16th, two more Gamecock players, Josh Johnson and Ty Erving, were arrested and charged with simple marijuana possession. Less than two weeks later, WR David Smith pled guilty to third degree burglary. In late May, Linebacker Dustin Lindsey was charged with DUI. On June 23rd, Cory Boyd was dismissed from the team. In all, twelve players have been arrested in the 2005 calendar year. It's been a typical Gamecock off season. But, all will be suppressed in less than two months, when 111 years of South Carolina's losing tradition will be changed. The man who will single handedly change the program has arrived in Columbia sounds similar to what we were told before Holtz' arrival. When Spurrier accepted the job to lead the Gamecocks, he commented, "they really haven't ever done much here." No kidding Steve, welcome to South Carolina football.

That is an ugly read with a lot of inaccuracies in it but it still gives a good picture of what we were before Coach Spurrier got here.

Since Spurrier Arrived?

First Season - The Gamecocks, who were not expected to have a winning season by most pundits, rattled off a five-game SEC winning streak for the first time in their fourteen-year SEC history.

2006 - Spurrier became the first coach in Gamecock football history to take a South Carolina team to a bowl game in both of his first two seasons as head coach.

In his nine seasons as the Gamecocks' head coach, Spurrier has beaten each of South Carolina's traditional SEC Eastern Division rivals at least four times.

The Gamecocks have been bowl eligible every year Spurrier has been the head coach, a feat no other Carolina coach has accomplished. Also, the Gamecocks have been ranked in the AP Poll Top 25 at some point during the season in eight out of Spurrier's nine years at USC.

2010 - Spurrier's Gamecocks won the SEC Eastern Division championship for the first time in school history.

2010 - first win over a No. 1 ranked team (Alabama)

2010 - first time sweeping the November "Orange Crush" portion of the schedule with wins over Tennessee, Florida and Clemson. Following a 9–3 regular season and an appearance in the SEC championship game.

2011 - the Gamecocks won 10 games for only the second time in their 119-year football history.

This last season? We lost to Tenn, a horrible Tenn team. At the same time we finished one of the greatest seasons in college football, and definitely South Carolina's greatest season.

In this season that we just completed:
This was possibly the greatest season ever for a team that didn’t win a BCS bowl or compete for the national championship. The Gamecocks beat two BCS bowl winners (UCF and Clemson), along with the Cotton Bowl winner, Mizzou.

Final ranking of #4 in the nation - the fourth best team in the country after all is said and done

But you may still consider all these "excuses" and you may be right - still doesn't change the truth that we are 100 times better than we have ever been and are actually still getting better year after year.

I love what we have here in Columbia and I do want to see South Carolina win SEC titles and national championships sooner rather than later...at the same time, I am enjoying this golden age of Gamecocks football while we are in the midst of them and will not try to run the current coaches, players, and administrators out of town just because we have not broken through those final few ceilings.

Before South Carolina won back-to-back national titles their were South Carolina fans impatient with Ray Tanner. We'd gotten a number of great seasons previously and college world series appearances but people were saying Tanner had taken the baseball team as far as he could because he didn't get the rings right away. They wanted to "consider other options" and "be realistic" and "dispense with excuses" - which meant they wanted to fire Ray and get whoever was the hot shots that were available at the time so that they could do what Ray had not up until then.

Listen, if you are frustrated, mad, indifferent, feed up or just plain unimpressed with what is going on at Carolina right now, I don't know what to tell you son.

Go root for a Pac-10, Big 12, Big 10, Independent or ACC school.

Quote:

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney countered a few days later following the Tigers’ 40-35 win over Ohio State in the Discover Orange Bowl that Clemson was the first team from the state of South Carolina to win a BCS bowl.

Even Spurrier had to give Swinney props for his comeback. Sort of, anyway.

“Well, he’s right,” Spurrier said. “We’ve never even been to a BCS bowl. We can’t get invited. We’re in the SEC.”

You know who else is not satisfied with the lack of titles? Steve Spurrier.
He is as hungry as any of us. When he stops caring, he will leave on his own. He will step away and let someone else give it a try. So please do not think Spurrier is just coasting or that South Carolina hasn't "done anything."

__________________

Quote:

Muschamp said he doesn't have a 3 year or 5 year plan, his plan is to win now and decisions will be based on winning now.

Muschamp believes that recruiting within a five-hour radius of USC, "we can recruit good enough players to win the East every year."

^
Good point. Spurrier wants it just as bad. There's no doubting we've had our opportunities but thank god for that man

__________________"I think maybe we should just sit here quietly now and not say anything, and let you just kinda contemplate on the news I just dropped on you, and let me just kinda contemplate on my own pain and sorrows right now."

That is an ugly read with a lot of inaccuracies in it but it still gives a good picture of what we were before Coach Spurrier got here.

Since Spurrier Arrived?

First Season - The Gamecocks, who were not expected to have a winning season by most pundits, rattled off a five-game SEC winning streak for the first time in their fourteen-year SEC history.

2006 - Spurrier became the first coach in Gamecock football history to take a South Carolina team to a bowl game in both of his first two seasons as head coach.

In his nine seasons as the Gamecocks' head coach, Spurrier has beaten each of South Carolina's traditional SEC Eastern Division rivals at least four times.

The Gamecocks have been bowl eligible every year Spurrier has been the head coach, a feat no other Carolina coach has accomplished. Also, the Gamecocks have been ranked in the AP Poll Top 25 at some point during the season in eight out of Spurrier's nine years at USC.

2010 - Spurrier's Gamecocks won the SEC Eastern Division championship for the first time in school history.

2010 - first win over a No. 1 ranked team (Alabama)

2010 - first time sweeping the November "Orange Crush" portion of the schedule with wins over Tennessee, Florida and Clemson. Following a 9–3 regular season and an appearance in the SEC championship game.

2011 - the Gamecocks won 10 games for only the second time in their 119-year football history.

This last season? We lost to Tenn, a horrible Tenn team. At the same time we finished one of the greatest seasons in college football, and definitely South Carolina's greatest season.

In this season that we just completed:
This was possibly the greatest season ever for a team that didn’t win a BCS bowl or compete for the national championship. The Gamecocks beat two BCS bowl winners (UCF and Clemson), along with the Cotton Bowl winner, Mizzou.

Final ranking of #4 in the nation - the fourth best team in the country after all is said and done

But you may still consider all these "excuses" and you may be right - still doesn't change the truth that we are 100 times better than we have ever been and are actually still getting better year after year.

I love what we have here in Columbia and I do want to see South Carolina win SEC titles and national championships sooner rather than later...at the same time, I am enjoying this golden age of Gamecocks football while we are in the midst of them and will not try to run the current coaches, players, and administrators out of town just because we have not broken through those final few ceilings.

Before South Carolina won back-to-back national titles their were South Carolina fans impatient with Ray Tanner. We'd gotten a number of great seasons previously and college world series appearances but people were saying Tanner had taken the baseball team as far as he could because he didn't get the rings right away. They wanted to "consider other options" and "be realistic" and "dispense with excuses" - which meant they wanted to fire Ray and get whoever was the hot shots that were available at the time so that they could do what Ray had not up until then.

Listen, if you are frustrated, mad, indifferent, feed up or just plain unimpressed with what is going on at Carolina right now, I don't know what to tell you son.

Go root for a Pac-10, Big 12, Big 10, Independent or ACC school.

You know who else is not satisfied with the lack of titles? Steve Spurrier.
He is as hungry as any of us. When he stops caring, he will leave on his own. He will step away and let someone else give it a try. So please do not think Spurrier is just coasting or that South Carolina hasn't "done anything."

When Gamecocks touch, either the feathers fly or they make beautiful babies.
Take care when storing taters for the winter 'cause when taters touch, they rot.
Poor things have to make their own sprouts.
Think I'm detecting that smell that tells me two taters touched - back on page 1.

I'm not so sure. I'm not saying we would have won, but the run offense that Wisconsin uses (Power) isn't the same as what Auburn uses (Spread/Inverted Veer/Zone read). Wisky's O-line was why they "ran it down our throats" and Auburn's line isn't of the same caliber. Georgia was batted down/tipped pass away from beating them.

I'm sorry, but are so absurdly wrong on your analysis I had to correct you. You were correct in saying that Auburn's line isn't the same calibre as Wisconsin's. Auburn's is a heck of a lot better. Top 5 pick RSoph. LT and a Remington Finalist. Auburn's run game is so dominant due to the superior offensive line. They also are a power run offense. They will run it outside, on occasion, they will even show you the jet sweep, but more often than not, they will ram the ball down your throat. Ever hear of Jay Prosh? Auburn utilized the #1 rated fullback. They loved to run behind him.

Expectations, Standards, and Goals are all different in their own way. So you all can laugh, point fingers, and joke about a single fans expectations for the future of this program. You can even use the "history" of this program as a shield and sword for your arguments - but that changes nothing.

If you look at this past team you can't tell me that, on any given day, we couldn't beat Georgia and Tennessee. If you can, then you are lying to yourself. We lost on those days. Go back and take a sneak peak of the boards on those days and get a sense of how Gamecocks felt. I can already tell you what it was: disappointment. Not disappointment in the team, but in the fact that we lost a game that we could've won. And not could've in a sense like it was a game we shouldn't have been in but had a chance. I'm saying could've like we were a well prepared and coached team with talent that could've competed with those two teams any day of the week.

So while you look at someone who expects to be in the running for a SEC and National Championship in the future and mock them - understand that our history will never change, ever. Understand that we were 13 total points away from doing it this year. Understand that we were 1 amazing throw/catch from competing for another SEC championship this year.

No one is saying that Gamecock fans everywhere should expect a National Title any time soon. I'm simply saying that the days of losing games that we shouldn't lose will get very old the more and more it happens when our teams are getting better and better.

If you disagree, that's fine. I'm not forcing you to agree or raise your bar. I'm simply stating where my bar is going to be at in the future. And while our bar may be set at different levels - I can tell you that our views on successful seasons may be slightly different, but for the most part very similar.

I don't know where this topic got off on the wrong foot, or why, but in the end our history isn't going anywhere. So everyone should stop using it as a sword or shield, or reason to be afraid of success. Because that's what it seems like. People afraid to want more than 11-2 because they are content with 11-2.

11 wins is tremendous. A great accomplishment and something that is hard to come by in College Football, especially three years in a row. But just because it is such a great accomplishment doesn't mean it's wrong to be upset that we lost to Tennessee, or Georgia. And I mean all of this in the most sincere way possible. I'm not trying to be a dick or ass.

I think SC had a much better all around team than Auburn and SC would have won the SEC Championship game. Also I have no doubt in my mind that SC would have beat FSU on Monday night with they way FSU played, I was not impressed one bit with thier team. So basically the team missed out on playing for National Championship because of one bad game against a weak opponet. The orginal poster is 1000% correct.

So this whole thread is simply one that states a part of simple human nature? Repeated frustration and disappointment will make us continue to feel really frustrated and disappointed.

Wow!!! Who saw that coming? Sounds like the beginning of a Directv commercial where convoluted logic keeps building to a weird conclusion.

Bottom line remains the same. Nothing you can do to directly make us win any game that might allow us to play for the SEC title.

Expect all you want. Expect or want a supermodel to start stalking you, that the lottery is going to be all yours soon, you are going to be nominated to run for President in 2016. Hey, they could happen if you want them badly enough, right?

We're still waiting to learn what's the secret of making everything go perfectly to win every game or better yet, what happens when we tire of the greatest stretch in our history because we don't get the big prize. If it's "Get another coach", tell us why whoever that is will be able to do what no other has here. If it's because "He wants it more", save your breath. It's all a crap shoot, not an ironclad, foregone conclusion.

__________________"When I was young I looked like Al Capone, but I lacked his compassion." - Oscar Levant

Nobody ever said Spurrier should be fired or let go. I for one have NEVER been embarrassed to be a gamecock and neither should you. The OP makes the point that we all know, that every year out of the past 4 or so we have lost to teams we shouldn't have and it's most likely cost us an SEC championship. At this point we've turned that corner. Like you said we've won 11 games 3 straight years, and now it's time to get some titles.
We were hungry to become nationally relevant again and now were hungry for more, that's a good thing IMO.

On the other hand we are indeed in a great era of football right now and you'll not hear any complaints from me... One who has been through all the bad times

Quote:

Originally Posted by BornCocky'86

Nobody ever said Spurrier should be fired or let go.

REALLY ?In Response to the question"And If We Don't, Then What" ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMAG

Changes would need to be made. Obviously were not gonna fire Spurrier, especially as long as he's beating clemson. But I would say we would need some hardware in the next 3 years or Spurrier is gone.

Followed it by saying, we won't fire him but he should do the right thing
and "step down"

Quote:

.....By no means should we ever fire Spurrier, he's earned the right to leave when he wants and has stated several times when he thinks he can't get it done he will step aside.

Fact is Spurrier NEVER said "if I can't get it done, I'll step aside" He said
that he's always thought that if a coach can't get a program turned around
in 4 or 5 years, then he should step aside and let another guy have it.
Spurrier took over a team that was 5-7, 5-7 and 6-5 in it's last three
years with Coach Holtz. He then went 7-5, 8-5, 6-6, 7-6, 7-6 and then 9-5
with an Eastern Conf. Title and played for the SEC title. Consistency,
consecutive bowl eligible seasons, Out of 5th place in the SEC East
for three years straight, and had put us in the SEC Title game.... after
this, I don't think I need to post what he's done for the last three seasons
following the above. Simply to say that we've gone from struggling to
finishing 4th place in the Eastern Conference, to 4th place in the Nation,
and we've just finished our third consecutive season with a bowl win over
yet another traditional powerhouse program. Instead of finding accolades
to talk about what we just accomplished like the rest of our fanbase
has done since January 1st, we have a fan who's wanting Spurrier out
if we don't win MORE in the next couple of years, and we have some
fans who agree with him.

I've been as pessimistic about this program as any a few years ago when
there was need for Realistic pessimism and it pissed some people off. BUT,
what I stated about some asst. coaches and some areas of this team were
accurate. They were changed and we improved. Never once did I call for coach
Spurrier to step aside if those changes weren't made, or issues corrected.
I simply said "This is what will happen if These changes aren't made IMO".
Consistent double digit win seasons, "IN CONTENTION" for the SEC East
and a title shot, and Consistent top 20 rankings are realistic goals for
any team. We've done that. Stay at that level and the rest might fall
in place, but it's all you can ask of any coach and program. We are where
we need to be, and I'll add to that, that we are in better shape than I
would have wanted and still be an SEC Contender.

I will start this off by saying,I love Gamecock football and what Spurrier has done,but with that being said we can't keep living off same old same old.If you think about this year,we could have very easily been 12-0.We were in the Georgia game all the way and I don't even want to talk about Tennessee.We need to start playing 60 minutes each and every game and not take plays off.I have been saying that all year.That is we have had some games that were closer than they should have been.We need our team to have the killer instinct.Put the other team away as soon as possible and we don't do that.We let teams hang around in games and one fluke play can cost us.This I put on the coaching staff.We need to drill this into the players starting with spring practice.In closing for all you that are happy with the status quo.Just remember the one loss in Tennessee cost us a trip to the SEC championship and a BCS bowl game.Let's start shooting for perfect seasons and not 11 win seasons.That's how you get championships.Go Gamecocks!

The Gamecocks beat a bunch of BCS teams. They would have probably beaten Auburn with ease. Auburn barely beat Georgia and Alabama at home. South Carolina, at the end of the season, was better than both. On a neutral field, I like the Gamecocks to win that one. For that matter, I suspect South Carolina would likely have beaten FSU as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by papaskids

I will start this off by saying,I love Gamecock football and what Spurrier has done,but with that being said we can't keep living off same old same old.If you think about this year,we could have very easily been 12-0.We were in the Georgia game all the way and I don't even want to talk about Tennessee.We need to start playing 60 minutes each and every game and not take plays off.I have been saying that all year.That is we have had some games that were closer than they should have been.We need our team to have the killer instinct.Put the other team away as soon as possible and we don't do that.We let teams hang around in games and one fluke play can cost us.This I put on the coaching staff.We need to drill this into the players starting with spring practice.In closing for all you that are happy with the status quo.Just remember the one loss in Tennessee cost us a trip to the SEC championship and a BCS bowl game.Let's start shooting for perfect seasons and not 11 win seasons.That's how you get championships.Go Gamecocks!

Woulda coulda shouda. This is a Tammy Bowden or Dabo mindthink.

We could also have easily lost a bunch of games including specifically UCF, Missouri, and Vandy. We got lucky in those games. I know we slaughtered teams like Clemson and UNC, but those are from a significantly weaker conference. UT would have been a championship caliber team in the weak aCC. Plus, against UT, they got lucky against us. It takes good fortune when you are guiding a team that is the youngest in the BCS to an 11 win season.